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Results for "Hrayr Attarian"
Jim Gailloreto: American Complex
by Hrayr Attarian
Chamber jazz or third stream--or whatever the amalgamation of western classical music and jazz is called--has had a handful of talented proponents sprinkled throughout the history of music. They have ranged from the more structured compositions of Igor Stravinsky to the looser improvisations of the Modern Jazz Quartet. Soprano saxophonist Jim Gailloreto has recently joined the ...
Charnett Moffett: The Art of Improvisation
by Hrayr Attarian
Discs that focus on a single instrument are not that uncommon in jazz, but recordings focusing primarily on the bass are quite rare, even for bassists who lead their own bands. Charnett Moffett's The Art of Improvisation joins the rank of such gems as Paul Chambers's Bass on Top (Blue Note, 1957) and, ...
Oran Etkin: Kelenia
by Hrayr Attarian
Exposure to traditional African music is limited in the western hemisphere so it is always a pleasant surprise when a recording is released, especially when it is a solid, well above average effort. Clarinetist and saxophonist Oran Etkin has fused Malian music with elements of improvisation and jazz in his debut, Kelenia. This ...
Bill McBirnie: Mercy
by Hrayr Attarian
Flutist led jazz records are quite infrequent, which makes one of quality all the more a find. Toronto-based Bill McBirnie's Mercy is mostly comprised of standards from a variety of jazz styles. The only original composition is the title track, by pianist Robi Botos. The diversity in styles, from trad jazz to Latin, does not affect ...
New Jazz Composers Octet: The Turning Gate
by Hrayr Attarian
Intricate compositions often provide the best substrate for complex and satisfying improvisation. This holds true for the New Jazz Composer's Octet's The Turning Gate, which includes five short compositions and one long suite made up of six movements. Each piece serves as a vehicle for group interplay and interpretation, and as a platform for one or ...
Oliver Lake: Makin' It
by Hrayr Attarian
Changing a few elements of a well known musical format may be all that is needed to create a new and fresh sound. Makin' It, Oliver Lake has taken the old saxophone organ trio popularized in the 1950s by the likes of Ike Quebec and made it into a new vehicle for 21st ...
Patrick Langham: Grown Up Listening
by Hrayr Attarian
Artists' early works generally channels the various influences and styles they have been exposed to during their development. What makes a debut unique is the way the different influences fuse and what the musicians can add to the mix themselves. Alto saxophonist Patrick Langham's Grown Up Listening is a perfect example. Langham is ...
Urban Hansson: Flute Fascination
by Hrayr Attarian
Instrumental jazz duet recordings that are not piano-based are a rarity; one that comes to mind is guitarist Jim Hall and bassist Ron Carter's Alone Together (Milestone, 1972). But a disc made up of exclusively flute “conversations" with other less commonly used instruments (at least in this setting) is almost unheard of. Swedish flutist Urban Hansson ...
Joe Gilman: View So Tender: Wonder Revisited - Volume Two
by Hrayr Attarian
A master improviser interpreting the works of one of the greatest popular composers should make for a stimulating listen. Sadly, pianist Joe Gilman's View So Tender: Wonder Revisited Volume 2 does not quite hit the mark. Despite being labeled Volume 2, this is not an afterthought or a follow-up building on the success ...
Dominick Farinacci: Lovers, Tales & Dances
by Hrayr Attarian
The mass appeal of a jazz recording does not necessarily compromise its value or its artistic integrity; it simply means that the artist has mastered the difficult task of balancing the creative and the commercial. Trumpeter Dominick Farinacci has done just that on his debut album, Lovers, Tales & Dances. Farinacci sounds a ...
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